Welcome to the Business Plan Tutorial

To enable everyone involved to have the same plan in mind and function as a team

To keep track of all possible strategy ideas, as you discount them

To measure the success of a plan, and continue to plan for the future

To improve funding possibilities since business plans are a key component to receiving funding

To complete mergers and acquisitions; a business plan will help you stand out from other companies (Portable MBA, 1994).

Tips to writing the plan:

Keep it original, do NOT make a cookie cutter plan. The people that invest in businesses see thousands of plans a year and you need to catch their attention.

Write your plan as a story so that it flows and keeps people's interest.

Research, research and research.

Address the negatives. The people you show the plan to can offer suggestions. Also they will see the flaw in your plan and if you don't address it, they will think you missed it and wonder what else you missed.

Keep it concise.

Presenting the Business Plan: Also see books in the library and the page of helpful things and other resources available to you.

Guy Kawasaki's blog is a must read. "The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint" will give you great parameters to use as a guide for presentations to Venture Capitalists.

Understand who your audience is (investors; angels, venture capitalists, loan officers), and what they are looking for:Return on Investment- How will they get their money back? (This is also part of the exit strategy.)

Sell the company or the idea

Public Offering

Match of initial funding with a percentage of revenue over a period of time or a lump sum?